The Mike Stern Band Stern captivated audiences on Day 4.
I started Day 4 at the Rochester International Jazz Festival early at one of the first events, a Vocal Jazz Workshop with Eastman professor Dawn Thomson. Held daily at 1 p.m., the workshop series invites musicians of all backgrounds and skill sets to explore jazz on their instrument of choice. On June 23, it was voice.
While Thomson began the workshop with a piece of her own composition, a short, swinging tune inspired by the works of Billie Holiday, it quickly transitioned to a living body of group exercise.
Thomson led the 40 or so attendees in a circle through a series of vocal warmups and call-and-response exercises centered on ad-libbing and the do-to-do scale. Young and old, seasoned vocalists and amateur musicians, we navigated together through jazz, blues, and swing melodies, creating community through harmony along the way. After we became accustomed to each new scale and style, Thomson cued a go-around circle of guitar-accompanied solo improvisations, prompting each participant to build upon the work of the individual before them.
The result was delightful: the sense of communication and flow I had the pleasure of observing through Ekep Nkwelle’s performance, and now I was a part of the conversation. I felt myself tapping into the subconscious pieces of the exercise; my listening to others became a reflection of my own vocalizations, shifting with each new chord and feelings they evoked.
The remaining 30 minutes were reserved for participants to break the ice and perform solo for the group, accompanied by Thomson and program organizer Bob Sneider. Running to the last minute, each performer brought a unique gusto to a selection of jazz classics and improved pieces. I even got in a solo of Van Morrison’s “Moondance.”
“The world would be better if we all sang together more,” said Thomson as she closed the lesson. In an age where we draw such a strong distinction between performers and consumers, a space like this was incredibly refreshing, and a well-needed reminder that jazz—and music as whole—is a joy for everyone.
As the workshop ended fairly early in the afternoon, I took a break in the festival lineup to head to Ugly Duck Coffee for a caffeine boost and the Central Library for some well-needed air conditioning. While I wasn’t able to catch Monday’s session, the library also hosts jazz performances from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m..
Later in the afternoon, I moseyed back to the festival in hopes of catching Hot Club of Cowtown’s second set of the week; however, I fell victim to the festival’s greatest pitfall: time. Even 15 minutes before the show, the Inn on Broadway was packed to capacity with a line close to the door. Although I was reassured that as guests exited, the line would be let in, it left me with this word of advice: If you’re absolutely itching to see a Club Pass show, arrive early. Thirty minutes is a safe bet for a smaller venue, 15 to 20 minutes if you’re adventurous.
However, if you’re willing to take the risk and the cards don’t land on your side, take yourself to the next closest show and give yourself a good surprise. As both free and ticketed shows run past 11 p.m. each night, you’re sure to find something that suits your fancy. Additionally, as most Club Pass artists perform twice on their respective evenings, you may simply be able to make up for a missed show later in the evening.
After stopping by the Rochester Regional Health tent for a pair of just-in-case foam earplugs, I found myself at an unexpected concert of choice: Brandon Goldberg’s recital at Hatch Hall.
At first, Goldberg’s presentation landed starkly on the classical side of the jazz festival spectrum, his full tuxedo and styled appearance well fitting the elegant hall and grand piano at his fingertips. His first piece proved the same, a careful instrumental rendition of Jerome Kern’s “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” Goldberg slowly began to stretch the intensity of his performance as he traversed his Great American Songbook repertoire, expanding and experimenting as he hit the highs and lows of dynamics and tones.
Goldberg welcomed the physicality of performance: he tensed, relaxed, and scrunched his face as he explored the percussional timbre of jumping a little bit off the piano bench and sitting back down. Each song became perplexing in an engrossing manner. Each start, pause and movement fell to the will of the pianist in an almost unpredictable manner, yet one that still held a thorough throughline.
While I was transfixed by Goldberg’s recital, I reluctantly left my seat around halfway through his set in hopes of learning from my previous mistakes in punctuality.
Next up for the evening was the Mike Stern Band, and I knew I couldn’t be late.
Tucked up on the second floor at the Theater at Innovation Square, I grabbed a seat in the cool auditorium and prepared for the set.
“We’ll take a half hour to tune up,” Stern jested as he and the ensemble entered the stage to a crowd of cheers and newly spurred laughter—easily the largest audience I’d seen at the fest thus far.
Stern then turned the stage to his wife, Leni, who opened the night with one of her own compositions: “Like a Thief.” She was accompanied by the ngoni, a West African string instrument. Stern then ushered the audience into a jazz hypnosis of voice and mind. As her melody continued, the quintet’s newly tuned instruments came full flush to a spinning soundscape: the psychedelia of guitar, low grit of bass, and shimmer of drums.
This, let it be known, was simply the warmup.
In a set spanning over an hour (extended by Stern’s well-received request to play “one more song”), the group took almost no time for a breather, cutting through spans of 20-minute compositions as if they were butter. Smooth, rich, and oh so enticing.
The bread and meat of this gastro-sonic sandwich operation was the abundance of improv (that’s how you get to a 20-minute piece to begin with, of course). Stern is no joke when it comes to delivering guitar solo, ricocheting quick-paced melodies across the fretboard with simultaneous grace and power. Beneath Stern’s feet lay a bird’s nest of a pedalboard, sliding with ease between decadent reverb and funk tonality to the grit of a rockstar’s guitar as he shredded up and down the strings.
The band’s saxophonist followed suit in his solos, playing vibrant and resonant melodies that cascaded over tin-hissing drums and gently crunchy guitar chords. The ensemble oozed between these solos and the refrains of their title pieces: “Cascades” and “Echoes,” keeping their high-speed production a well-oiled and well-running machine.
After this whirlwind of a performance, I opted for a slightly more relaxed end to my evening: the RIJF-ESM Scholarship Concert. Held outside at the Jazz Street Stage and open to the public, this concert celebrated the recipients of the RIJF/ESM Jazz Scholarship Program, a more than 20-year-old program supporting the education of young musicians as they enter their collegiate careers at the Eastman School of Music.
This year’s performance presented the award to saxophonist Ethan Hart, who will begin attending the university in the fall. Sauntering through jazz standards, sambas, and swing, Hart was joined by a group of student musicians and a special guest, saxophonist Scott Mayo.
RIJF-ESM Scholarship winner takes a solo
Ethan Hart wasn’t expecting to win extra money to help cover his education, but he also wasn’t going to refuse when he received a phone call telling him that he was the winner of the 2025 RIJF-ESM Scholarship.
Ethan Hart
The scholarship, a partnership between the Rochester International Jazz Festival and the Eastman School of Music, supports young musicians enrolling at the conservatory. Each year, at least one winner is chosen to receive the scholarship and to perform at the annual RIJF-ESM Scholarship Concert. All incoming students to Eastman are eligible, and no extra application is necessary. The scholarship supports the study of a different musical instrument each year. In 2024, the award went to percussionist Parker Vinyard.
“I didn’t apply for anything. I actually didn’t even know it existed,” says Hart, a saxophonist. “I was like ‘OK, thank you.’”
An incoming freshman at Eastman, Hart has played the saxophone since the fourth grade, when he asked his parents to bring one home from the school where they were teachers. He was inspired by saxophonist Bobby Militello, who toured with Maynard Ferguson and played at Hart’s church.
Jazz has been Hart’s focus and he has no plans to stop. He intends to study jazz studies and music education at Eastman. “It’s a very underrated genre and, you know, it’s a very soulful genre,” Hart says. “I think it should be known more.” Hart performed a set alongside current Eastman students, faculty, and previous scholarship recipients at the Jazz Fest on Monday.
—Natalie Opdahl
In the evening breeze, the sweet music provided ample space to breathe easy, take time for a dinner outside, and spend time with family, friends, and the presence of kind strangers united by jazz.
Grateful for the temperature drop and the festivities of the afternoon, I wrapped up my Day 4 experience at the festival and began the journey home.
Alex Holly and Natalie Opdahl are members of the Oasis Project’s second cohort.
The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. See “Leave a Reply” below to discuss on this post. Comments of a general nature may be submitted to the Letters page by emailing [email protected].
